Trapped in the Trade Economic coercion and lack of agency among women in commercial sexual exploitation in Kanjar Community

Abstract

Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) operates as a gendered mechanism that has been passed down through generations among various tribal groups in India, typically transitioning from mothers to daughters, by virtue of intergenerational stigmatization and economic dispossession. Tribal communities such as the Kanjars, Bedias, Nats (or Rajnats), Faasis, Sansis, Banchhadas, Pernas, and Saraniyas have higher prevalence of girls and women in CSE. The present study focuses on the Kanjar community in Bundi, Rajasthan, examining the shifting dynamics of females in CSE. Conducted in the Bundi district of Rajasthan, where Kanjars predominantly reside, the research involved in-depth interviews with community members, district administration officials, police, and civil society representatives. Findings reveal that CSE remains a significant and economically beneficial livelihood for the Kanjar community. The current study indicates that an estimated 300 to 500 minor girls are still trapped in CSE. Although initiatives like Operation Asmita have been introduced to combat this issue and promote development, such efforts do not address the material realities of the communities nor the constrained agency of women sustained by sexual commodification of marginalized women, often reinforcing the very marginalization they seek to redress. The findings demand a reorientation of policy – away from piecemeal intervention towards a responsible law enforcement with sustained livelihood reparation and rehabilitation intervention that promotes participatory engagement and empowerment of women and girls, dismantling the caste-patriarchial exploitation at its roots.